Wire reel



L. W. WASSON May 3, 1966 WIRE REEL Filed Dec. 30. 1963 galll/lllf HL... RL L Ms INVENTOR. LAW/llama W- WAssQ/J BY 6%, Flg. 2

Bodum United States Patent O 3,249,319 WIRE REEL Lawrence W. Wasson, 587 Hope St., Stamford, Conn. Filed Dec. 30, 1963, ser. No. 334,280 6 Ciaims. (Cl. 242-96) This invention relates to a wire dispensing reel and more particularly relates to the type of wire dispensing device utilized by workmen in dispensing tie wire used in fastening steel reinforcing rod.

In the normal practice of constructing concrete buildings and other structures with steel reinforcing rod, workmen employ tying wire to secure the rods in position. To enable workmen to have a handy supply of wire readily available in a form that can be used in making quick and effective ties of the various and numerous rods, a portable dispensing device is used. In the past several types of dispensers have been developed and offered for use as wire dispensers for reinforcing rod tying. In all of these, however, some aspect of their construction or manner of functioning has limited widespread satisfactory commercial use. Typical of the devices that have been developed for this purpose are those disclosed in U.S. 2,683,000 and U.S. 2,982,491.

In modifications of commercially available tie wire dispensers it is normally necessary to completely disassemble the dispenser to insert or load the dispenser with the coil of tie wire. In one form of dispenser presently available, it is necessary to remove the face of the dispenser reel by unbolting a lock nut on the shaft supporting the reel. Quite often a workman when removing this nut on the job site will accidentally drop the nut thus making it impossible to reassemble the dispenser without a lengthy search for the nut or taking the time to secure another locking nut. The disadvantage of such a device when workmen are many stories from the ground is quite obvious. In other types of available devices construction is such that during wire withdrawal the wire often binds and locks `against the casing thus preventing the speedy withdrawal of the desired length of wire.

In my copending application Serial No. 217,108 filed August 15, 1962, now Patent No. 3,134,556 issued May 26, 1964, there is disclosed a wire dispensing device which provides substantial improvement over the commercially available tie wire dispensers described above. The device disclosed is based on the use of two clam-like hinged, opposing sides which are conveniently opened to receive a reel or spool of tie wire. The cylindrical device therein described which comprises substantially identical hinged halves results in the presence of a split or joint between the shells in the area of the wire withdrawal opening, into which tie Wire often creeps during withdrawal. This movement of the withdrawn wire into the joint between shell halves results in a tendency of the wire to lock into the joint between the adjacent shell halves. This obviously makes speedy wire withdrawal most diiiicult.

As noted and described in the application referred to a reinforcing edge is placed around the withdrawal opening to correct in part this disadvantage. In commercial embodiments, however, it has been found that the reinforcing edge or rim around the withdrawal opening was difficult to maintain in position and was often cut through or removed by wear leading to the wire being withdrawn through the joint between the shell halves as described.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved tie wire dispensing device.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tie .wire dispensing device of improved construction that avoids the conventional disassembly of the wire reel at the jobsite when reloading is desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide 3,249,319 Patented May 3, 1966 ICC a wire dispensing device which can readily be used by either a right or left handed person in a manner that avoids binding and locking of the wire during wire withdrawal from the reel.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a light weight, portable wire dispensing device of improved design that overcomes the mechanical deliciencies of conventional tie wire dispensing devices.

The present invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing and the specification which follows:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-section incorporating a partial conceptional view of the wire dispensing device partially opened to receive a coil of tie Wire.

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the dispensing device.

FIGURE 3 is a graphic presentation of the inner end of a circular plate hub showing the hub locking means.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of a hub positioned on a supporting shaft showing alternate means for locking the plate hub on the shaft.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of a shaft support means positioned in the indented cup of a side wall.

FIG. 6 is a detail of the hinge in a modified form.

Reference now to FIGURE 1 of the drawing shows in vertical Cross-section the essential features of the improved wire dispensing device of the present invention. The dispenser generally identified by numeral 5 comprises two opposed cylindrical cup shaped sections identified as 6 and 7 respectively. Section 6 includes the circular outer flat side wall 1.0 which has a continuous vertical peripheral wall 18 at the periphery thereof and integral therewith. Side wall 10 includes at the center thereof a shaft 9 which extends inwardly, perpendicular to outer wall 10 a distance substantially less than half the width of the total device. To support shaft 9 a shoulder 11 may be provided in outer wall 10. It is of course understood and.

preferred that shaft 9 and supporting shoulder 11, when present, be cast or fashioned as an integral unit to insure adequate support for shaft 9.

In the outer face of peripheral wall 18 a locking member 42 is positioned, adapted to receive a locking hasp 40 held in position by pin 41 positioned in `peripheral wall 28 of the opposing section 7. 41 can be a bolt, screw, spot weld or such other holding means as is desired and as is conventional for this purpose.

At another point in the periphery of the outer wall 18 a hinge 30 is positioned, adapted to permit the opening of section 6 away from section 7. As shown, hinge 30 consists of the hinge side members 31 and 31'. It will be noted that hinge side 31 is fastened to outer wall 10 by a suitable bolt, screw or other fastening means. Similarly, hinge side 31 is fastened to the extended peripheral wall 28 of outer wall 20 by suitable holding means. While as shown in the drawing hinge 30 is a separate member, it is of course understood that the hinge 30, that is the two halves thereof, can be cast or -fashioned integrally with the separate side or end walls to which positioned.

Considering now circular outer wall 20 of section 7, it will be noted that the same includes the peripherally integral, perpendicular inwardly extending peripheral wall 28 corresponding to the end wall 18 of section 6. Peri-pheral wall 28 however is substantially wider than peripheral wall 18. The reason for the unbalanced or diiferent size of peripheral walls 28 and 18 which leads to unbalanced halves or sections in contrast to the device previously referred to which has substantially identical sections, will be developed hereinafter. Similar to outer wall 10, outer wall 20 includes a shaft 22 ce'ntrally located therein, extending inwardly and terminating at end 23. A shoulder at 21 is provided to support shaft 22 in a manner similar to the support shoulder 11 provided in outer wall 10. It is of course understood that in the casting of the outer walls it is not necessary that the support shoulder be provided, in which event the hub and vertical plate members can 'be positioned closer to the inner face of the vertical outer walls. Outer wall 20 includes the belt holding loops 60 constructed in a size and shape to permit carrying of the 4device on the belt of a workman. While two belt loops are shown preferably positioned in the upper half of the outer wall, more than two of such loops may be provided. Alternatively the loops 60 may in turn be in the form of holes in outer wall 20 so that the belt can be inserted through the holes in the outer wall. In this construction, it is necessary that the hub, and more particularly the circular plate 24 integral therewith, be moved inwardly a suiiicient distance to avoid contact with the Work belt inserted through the supporting holes.

Positioned on shaft 9 is a circular plate 14 which corresponds in its peripheral configuration to the outer wall 10 but having a smaller diameter than the diameter of outer wall 10 so that the same can be included with clearance within peripheral wall 18. Circular plate 14 includes a hub 15 which is integral therewith and which extends inwardly toward the center of the dispenser. While hub 15 is referred to as being integral with the circular plate 14, which forms one half of a Wire holding reel as described below, it is to be understood -that hub 15 could be constructed independent of plate 14 and fastened thereto by any convenient means when the device is assembled. Plate 14 and hub 15 are reinforced by support ridges 16 which also act as receiving means for the tie wire coil. Additionally the terminal ends of these support ridges or beads identified as 29 in FIGURE 3 (the opposing hub) are used as a means for interengaging the hubs in rotational relationship when the device is loaded with a coil of wire and sections 6 and 7 are moved to a closed position.

It will be noted that hub 15, which is designed to fit and rotate on shaft 9, as at 12, is substantially shorter in length than opposing hub 25 of the opposing section 7.

This permits easy opening of section 6 away from section 7 when the latter is held on the workmans belt, by pivoting on hin-ge 30. The hub 15 includes an indented portion generally identied at 3 which has `a shoulder 19. The latter services as a means for locking circular plate 14 and hub 15 on shaft 9. This locking means can be a sli-p ring such as is shown at 17 which fits into a receiving slit, or it can take the form of a screw locked cap 36 as shown in FIGURE 4. vThe latter gure while directed to shaft 22 of section 7 would be substantially the same when utilized in maintaining hub 15 on shaft 9. It will be noted with respect to locking cap 36 that the latter presses against shoulder 19 and that cap 36 is held in -position by screws 37` or other suitable means. An indentation 3 is provided on the wall side of hub 15 to permit plate 14 to rotate without rubbing on or contacting shoulder 11. As is readily apparent, when shoulder 11 is not present the circular indentation at 3 is omitted.

The opposing outer wall 20 of section 7 has similarly supported on shaft 22 a circular Iplate 24. Circular plate 24 is the same size as plate 14 in the embodiment shown and includes a hub 25 which extends inwardly substantially beyond the center of the device a length equal to the length of shaft 22 and sufficient to abut and interlock with the terminal ends of support ribs 16 on hub 15. It will be noted that shaft 22 extends approximately twothirds of the distance across the width of the device. While the two-thirds length is not precise, it is preferred that the hub 25 extend more than half way across the width of the device so that when outer wall 10 is opened away from outer wall 20, hub 25 will have a sufficient length to receive and support a coil of tie Wire placed thereon. This of course means that shaft 22 will generally be at least a third longer than shaft 9. Hub 25 terminates in an outer ring or rim which is created by the indented portion 38. Similar to the ring 17 which locks plate 14 and hub 15 on shaft 9, a locking ring 27 is provided substantially at the end of shaft 22 to lock hub 25 on shaft 22. Similar to circular plate 14, circular plate 22 includes the reinforcing ribs or edges 26. It will be noted with reference to FIGURE 2 that the ribs identilied as 16 therein are four in number and are the full equivalents of ribs 26 and act as interengaging means for the hubs. Quite -obviously more or less of the reinforcing ribs can be provided on the respective circular plates as desired. These ribs are preferably cast integrally with the circular plate. However, if desired the ribs may be positioned on the circular plates by fastening as with screws, welding or other means if desired.

As will be readily apparent when the side wall 10 is opened away from outer wall 20, lby turning or pivoting on hinge 30 after the unlatching of lock 40, the locking noses as at 29 (FIGURE 3) of the respective supporting shoulders will move away from each other. This movement is shown in FIGURE l. As is shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the terminal end of the shoulder 25 includes the extended rib portions of 26 identified as 29. The terminal ends 29 provide a means for interengaging the respective circular plates and hubs as a unit thus forming a reel which will rotate as such.

Quite obviously other hub interengaging means can be provided as desired, lsuch as a screw interengaging means or a meshing teeth type such as is shown in my copending patent identified above. It is essential, however, that whatever form of interengaging means are used to interengage the respective hubs that they be such as to permit the hubs to engage one another when the opposing side walls are moved to a closed and locked relationship.

Reference now to FIGURE 5 will show an alternate means Iby which the circular plates may be supported within the tie wire device. As shown the-rein, it will be noted that a central indented depression generally identi-Iied by numerals 43 and 49 is provided at the center of the circular outer wall 20. The indented depression 49 has a hole 46 in the center thereof to permit shaft 22 or a reduced outer end thereof, as at 45, to extend therethrough. Shaft end 45 is the reduced end of shaft 22' upon which hub 25' is supported. It will be noted that locking means 34 is provided at the outer end of shaft 45 to maintain the same in position. The obvious advantage of this construction is that it permits a flat surface against the wearer and simultaneously provides an easy lmeans for removing the circular plate 24' if the same is desired. In a similar manner, Ithough not shown, it is quite obvious that the opposing side 104 can be fashioned with a similar indented depression portion to receive and support a shaft hub and circular plate in Ia like manner.

As has been previously described, the advantage of the present device is derivable from the fact that peripheral wall 28 includes no joint into which the withdrawn tie wire can slip during its being withdrawn from the reel under conditions of use. It will be noted th-at the wire withdrawal hole or opening provided in the peripheral wall 2-8, generally identified by the numerals 50, 51, S12 and 53 is carved out of the single peripheral Wall 28. When the side v20 including peripheral 4wall 28, as Well as the device as a whole, is fabricated of metal such as aluminum, steel, metallic alloys, or reinforced plastic, withdrawal of the wire either from the right or the left, that is th-rough and across the bottom withdrawal edge 53 or the top 50,v will generally be alon-g the respective edges 50 and 5/3. The manner in which the coils of wire are wound and in which it is supported by ythe locked hubs results in a substantially even and continuous wear across the total edge 50 or 53 so that no one particular point on the withdrawal edge will receive greater wear than any other. This is made possible by the whole wire .withdrawal opening or openings being constructedrin, only one peripheral wall, namely, peripheral wall 28.

yIn an alternate embodiment wherein outer wall does not include a peripheral wall -18 as described above it will be understood that peripheral wall 218 will extend over to outer wall 10 and will include similar wire withdrawal openings as described. In such an embodiment it may be desirable to have peripheral wall 28 extend beyond outer wall 10 in which event the latter would necessarily be of a smaller diameter than outer wall 20 of the opposing side of the dispenser.

Additionally in the construction shown it has been yfound unnecessary to reinforce the wire withdrawal opening 50 as was required in previous device wherein the peripheral walls of equal size (width) caused la joint generally at the center of the dispenser.

In addition it has been found that extending the hub @v5 and the supporting shaft in the manner shown permits easier opening of the outer wall 10 away from side 20 when a residual amount of wire remains on the hub. As is obvious, where a man is moving to a portion of the building where his wire supply will be shortly exhausted, it is desirable to carry a full load. yIf a residual amount of wire remains on the hub formed by 115 and 25 the short sided Ahub on opening outer wall 10 will be easily withdrawn from the center of the coil without undue pressure. Additionally, the hub 1'5 will move free of the coil and not disturb the same from its position on hub 2,5. Thus, a worker can readily open the case for inserting a new coil of wire without outer 10 being tightly bound or otherwise frictionally engaging the residue of the coil remaining on hub 25. As suggested, hub 25 has a length at least one half the Width of the device and preferably from about two thirds (26) :to seven eighths (7A) the width of the device. In such construction, it is of course understood that the length of hub 25 will be correspondingly reduced.

The withdrawal openings shown and generally dened by numerals 50, 51, 52 and 5'3 are rectangular in shape. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1, such wi-thdrawal openings are provided on opposite sides of the device of side wall 28 in section 7. If desired, such withdrawal openings can be in the form of a plurality of narrow slits of substantially shorter length than is suggested by the side edges 511 and 52.

The alternate embodiment previously suggested in which the peripheral wall 28 extends beyond outer wall 10 is shown in FIGURE 6. Therein it will be noted that outer wall 10 of section 6 hinged by hinge 61 'and `6|1' is permitted to close inside of peripheral wall 2'8. This construction obviates the necessity for having a peripheral wall 18 integral with outer wall 10 of section 6. Being hinged in the manner shown provides obvious advantages in that peripheral wall 2S will be so fashioned as to be completely cylindrical and include within it the necessary wire withdrawal openings. The positions and configuration of circular plate 14 and the support or strengthening ribs 16 are as shown in FIGURE 1.

While t-he present invention has been described with some degree of particularity it is to be understood that the lan-guage used was in no way intended as a limitation on the scope of the invention. The invention is to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

The invention claimed is:

1. A cylindrically shaped tie wire dispensing device comprising, a cup like shell having an outer wall and av peripheral wall integral therewith, perpendicular to the outer wall and having a width approaching that of the device, a second outer wall facing the shell outer wall and hinged thereto at the end wall thereof, locking means to maintain said outer walls in closed relationship, each of said outer walls having in the center thereof a shaft extending inwardly toward the center of the device, each shaft supporting a hub having integral therewith a vertical circular plate at the outer wall end of said hub, said hubs having at their inner end, means to interlock when the outer walls are placed in closed relationship, said peripheral wall having at least one wire withdrawal opening therein.

2. A cy-lindrically shaped tie wire dispensing device comprising, a cup like shell comprising a vertical face wall having a peripheral wall integral therewith and perpendicular thereto at the periphery thereof, said peripheral wall having a width substantially the width of the device, an opposing vertical face wa-ll maintained in hinged relationship with the shell face wall by being hinged to the peripheral wall, each of said face walls having centered therein an inwardly extending shaft supporting a hub which terminates in lock means adapted to engage the opposing hub when the face walls are in closed relationship, each of said hubs having integral therewith at their face wall ends a vertical circular plate, said peripheral w-all having a plurality of wire withdrawal openings therein, means to maintain said face walls in closed =re lationship and means to support said device on a workmans belt.

6. A cylindrically shaped tie wire dispensing device comprising, a cup like shell comprising a circular outer face wall and an integral peripheral wall perpendicular thereto at the face wall periphery, a second outer wall hin-ged to :the peripheral wall and adapted to open away from the shell outer face wall, said face Walls having centered therein an inwardly extending shaft supporting a hub which terminates in interengaging means adapted to engage the opposing hub when .the outer face walls are in closed relationship, each of said hubs having integral therewith at their face wall ends a vertical circular plate, said peripheral wall having a plurality of wire withdrawal openings completely surrounded by said peripheral wall therein, means to maintain said outer face wal-ls in closed relationship and means to support said device on a workmtans belt.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the withdrawal openings in the end Wall are rectlangularly shaped.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rectangularly shaped withdrawal openings are two in number.

6. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the means to support said device on a workmans 4belt comprise a plurality of belt loops.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,525,992 1'0/ 1950 Wynn 2412-96 2,982,491 5/196f1 Beiderwell 242-96 3,134,155 6 5/1964 Wasson 242-96 MBRVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

3. A CYLINDRICAL SHAPED TIE WIRE DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISING, CUP LIKE SHELL COMPRISING A CIRCULAR OUTER FACE WALL AND AN INTEGRAL PERIPHERAL WALL PERPENDICULAR THERETO AT THE FACE WALL PERIPHERY, A SECOND OUTER WALL HINGED TO THE PERIPHERAL WALL AND ADAPTED TO OPEN AWAY FROM THE SHELL OUTER FACE, WALL SAID FACE WALLS HAVING CENTERED THEREIN INWARDLY EXTENDING SHAFT SUPPORTING A HUB WHICH TERMINATES IN INTERENGAGING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE OPPOSING HUB WHEN THE OUTER FACE WALLS ARE IN CLOSED RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF SAID HUBS HAVING INTEGRAL THEREWITH AT THEIR FACE WALL ENDS A VERTICAL CIRCULAR PLATE, SAID PERIPHERAL WALL HAVING A PLURALITY OF WIRE WITHDRAWAL OPENINGS COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY SAID PERIPHERL WALL THEREIN, MEANS TO MAINTAIN SAID OUTER FACE WALL IN CLOSED 